The Workman's Wife, Anna Liisa

Minna Canth is one of the most important figures in Finnish literature, famous as a champion of social reform and observer of human nature. Translated by Alisa Manninen, the author of the biography Minna Canth: Writing to Challenge, these classic plays show Canth at her finest.

The Workman's Wife (1885)

When Johanna marries Risto, the money she had earned becomes his. Risto's drinking drags them into poverty and Johanna searches desperately for work. Meanwhile, he turns to Homsantuu, the Roma woman he abandoned. Though she is defiant when scorned by society, Homsantuu's longing for love leaves her vulnerable. The two women face a world in which the forces of law and justice are turned against the powerless.

Anna Liisa (1895)

A farm owner's daughter admired by all for her beauty and moral principles, Anna Liisa is in love with a fine young man. Just before their engagement is about to be celebrated, a secret from her past resurfaces to threaten her hopes for the future. As Anna Liisa struggles to keep her life from falling apart, it is her own conscience that must grow stronger than the people who seek to control or help her.